Untitled - Flamboyan Foundation

A collaboration between
Flamboyan Foundation, Kinesis Foundation,
and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Flamboyan Foundation
Flamboyan believes that ultimately, people solve problems. To solve complex societal challenges, people
need strategic support and impact-driven best practices and tools. We work at the intersection of
education, government, business, strategic philanthropy, and the non-profit sector, equipping leaders,
teachers, and community members to improve educational outcomes for children through catalytic,
results-driven collaboration. Flamboyan is a private family foundation based in Puerto Rico and
Washington, DC.
Learn more at www.flamboyanfoundation.org.
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to
improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders
who create positive and lasting change. The School offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy
through its academic, research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake
Institute on Faith & Giving, and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.
Learn more at www.philanthropy.iupui.edu.
Kinesis Foundation
Kinesis Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with the mission to improve Puerto Rico’s
global competitiveness helping talented Puerto Rican youth overcome socioeconomic barriers and
achieve excellence at the highest academic levels. Since 2004, Kinesis Foundation has worked toward its
mission with three main programs: scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students attending top
colleges in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and abroad, Bright Stars College Access Program for middle and high
school students, and continuing education for school counselors and other professionals.
Learn more at www.kinesispr.org.
© 2016 The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. All rights reserved.
Flamboyan Foundation
P.O. Box 16699
San Juan, PR 00908-6699
787-977-5522
IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
University Hall, Suite #3000
301 University Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-274-4200
Kinesis Foundation
2000 Carr. 8177
Suite 26, PMB 208
Guaynabo, PR 00966
787-772-8269
1
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Project Team
Una Osili, Ph.D., Director of Research
Jacqueline Ackerman, Project Manager
Jonathan Bergdoll, Applied Statistician
Silvia Garcia, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate
Adriene Davis Kalugyer, Manager of Public Affairs
Yannan Li, Addison Kane, and Abe Roll, Research Assistants
Special thanks to the project advisory council members and survey research partner.
2
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4
A Note on Methodology .................................................................................................................. 4
A Note on Terms Used in This Report .............................................................................................. 5
Key Findings .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Study Representation and Reliability............................................................................................................ 8
Sampling........................................................................................................................................... 8
Reliability.......................................................................................................................................... 8
The Numbers: Who Gives, Why, How Much, and to What Causes? .......................................................... 10
Percentage of Households That Give to Charity ............................................................................ 10
Motivations for Charitable Giving .................................................................................................. 11
Giving by Charitable Category ....................................................................................................... 12
Average Amounts Given to Charity................................................................................................ 13
Social Issue Priorities ..................................................................................................................... 14
Number of Organizations Supported ............................................................................................. 15
Geographic Focus of Giving ........................................................................................................... 16
Knowledge of the Nonprofit Sector ............................................................................................................ 17
Level of Knowledge ........................................................................................................................ 17
Ability to Name Nonprofits ............................................................................................................ 19
Relationship Between Knowledge and Giving ............................................................................... 20
Formal versus Informal Giving .................................................................................................................... 21
Percentage of Households that Give Informally ............................................................................ 21
Recipients of Informal Giving ......................................................................................................... 21
Method of Informal Giving ............................................................................................................ 22
Giving Vehicles ............................................................................................................................... 22
Volunteering ............................................................................................................................................... 23
Percentage of Households That Volunteer .................................................................................... 23
Amount of Time Volunteering ....................................................................................................... 24
Recipient Organizations of Volunteer Time ................................................................................... 25
Barriers to Giving and Anticipated Giving ................................................................................................... 26
Why Households Do Not Give........................................................................................................ 26
Why Households Stopped Giving................................................................................................... 28
Anticipated Giving .......................................................................................................................... 29
Tax Policy .................................................................................................................................................... 31
Awareness of Tax Code Changes ................................................................................................... 31
Responses to Tax Code Changes .................................................................................................... 32
Tax Return Itemization................................................................................................................... 32
Conclusions and Implications...................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix A: Data and Methodology........................................................................................................... 34
Sample ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Demographic Description of Data.................................................................................................. 34
Subsector Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 35
Appendix B: Average Amounts of Giving Among Donors ........................................................................... 36
Appendix C: List of Named Organizations................................................................................................... 38
3
Introduction
Helping behaviors and traditions have long been a part of Puerto Rican culture. Organized philanthropy
in the form of giving money and other tangible assets to both local organizations and the broader
community is a relatively new phenomenon in Puerto Rico, however. As a result, little data have been
collected about Puerto Rico’s charitable landscape. Such data are important for a variety of constituents,
from donors and their charitable advisors, to nonprofit leaders, policy makers, and others interested in
philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
Giving in Puerto Rico is the first study of its kind to examine the charitable giving patterns, priorities, and
attitudes of Puerto Rican households. This report presents details on the Puerto Rican households that
give to charity, why they give, what causes they are supporting, and how much they are giving. In
addition, this report includes information about Puerto Ricans’ knowledge of the nonprofit sector,
informal and formal giving behaviors, volunteering trends, and barriers to giving. Results regarding the
impact of tax policy on Puerto Ricans’ charitable giving are also provided.
Written and researched by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, in partnership with
Flamboyan Foundation and Kinesis Foundation, Giving in Puerto Rico also incorporates comparative data
about giving by mainland U.S. households using such landmark studies as the Lilly Family School of
Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Panel Study and Bank of America/U.S. Trust Studies of High Net Worth
Philanthropy.
Providing charitable giving trends for calendar year 2014, this report can be used by nonprofit
professionals and charitable advisors to make strategic decisions about fundraising and fund
management, as well as by donors and the broader public to better inform them of the Puerto Rican
charitable landscape. As an example, nonprofit leaders can use data about why Puerto Ricans either
stop giving or do not give to charity to adjust their approaches to prospective donors. Donors
themselves can use information in this report to benchmark their giving against similar households, and
better understand opportunities for their future giving.
A Note on Methodology
Data for this study were gathered by surveying households across Puerto Rico. Procedures were used to
gather representative samples of households in all geographic areas of Puerto Rico, and at all income
levels.
Prior research has demonstrated that households with the highest levels of wealth contribute a
disproportionate amount of total charitable dollars. For this study, high net worth households were
defined as having incomes of at least $150,000 and/or net worth of more than $1 million, excluding the
value of their primary residence. The survey garnered 847 responses from Puerto Rican households, 95
of which met the income and wealth criteria to be considered high net worth.
Some leading studies on philanthropy present and monitor estimates of charitable giving for certain
populations. Giving in Puerto Rico does not estimate the total amount of charitable giving in Puerto Rico.
Rather, this study focuses solely on charitable giving trends by households within the island of Puerto
Rico. This is similar to the approach used by the Philanthropy Panel Study for U.S. household giving.
Giving USA estimates total U.S. charitable giving on an annual basis by donor and recipient type using
econometric methods. These methods rely on data from governmental and non-governmental sources,
4
many of which are not available specifically for Puerto Rico. For example, the bulk of philanthropy from
households in the mainland U.S. is itemized, which makes it straightforward to estimate. In Puerto Rico,
giving is largely not itemized, so while there is tax data available on giving in Puerto Rico, it likely makes
up a small part of the picture of household giving. For other sources of giving (namely non-itemized
charitable giving, bequest giving, foundation giving, and corporate giving), readily available data sources
are not available in Puerto Rico.
A Note on Terms Used in This Report
In some cases, respondents were asked to report about the giving behaviors of their entire household.
These questions relate most often to how much households gave in the year 2014 and the types of
organizations to which they gave. In other instances, respondents were asked to report on their own
giving behaviors. These questions relate most often to motivations for giving, knowledge of the
nonprofit sector, and social issue priorities. Throughout the report, this distinction is made by referring
to either households or individuals, both within the text as well as in tables and figures.
In this report, the terms “charitable giving,” “giving,” and “philanthropy” are used interchangeably.
5
Key Findings
Sample of
Puerto Rican
households
The Giving in Puerto Rico study surveyed the Puerto Rican population, including an
oversample of high net worth households. The data is highly reliable and represents
the Puerto Rican population, as evidenced by demographic comparisons to the
Puerto Rico Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Percentage of
households
that give to
charity
A large majority of both the Puerto Rican general population and high net worth
households report giving to charity. In 2014, three out of four Puerto Rican
households in the general population gave to charity (74.9 percent), and nearly nine
out of ten high net worth households gave (88.4 percent). Compared to similar
measures of giving in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rican general population
households give at a higher rate, but high net worth households give at a lower
rate.
Motivations
for giving
Both general population and high net worth Puerto Ricans cite the same top
motivations for giving to charity: giving back to the community (82.0 percent and
76.1 percent, respectively); giving spontaneously in response to a need (79.0
percent and 71.4 percent, respectively); and the belief that their gift can make a
difference (78.7 percent and 72.2 percent, respectively).
Causes
receiving
donations
Puerto Rican households are most likely to give to basic needs organizations,
religious institutions, and health-related charities. Large percentages of both
general population and high net worth households support these issues.
Social issue
priorities
Both general population and high net worth Puerto Ricans cite education and health
care as their two highest social issue priorities. General population Puerto Ricans
rate the economy as the third most important social issue; whereas high net worth
Puerto Ricans list community development as their third highest social issue
priority. While some social issue priorities are also top causes for receiving
charitable gifts (e.g., health care is both a top priority and a top cause for charitable
giving by Puerto Ricans), other leading social issue priorities are not preferred
charitable giving recipients (e.g., education).
Number of
organizations
supported
In 2014, high net worth Puerto Rican households gave to a slightly higher average
number of organizations (2.9) than did the general population (2.4). The median
number of organizations was the same (2) for both general population and high net
worth households.
Geographic
focus of giving
The largest percentage of Puerto Ricans give to organizations that focus on issues
within Puerto Rico (52.8 percent of general population households and 53.1 percent
of high net worth households). The second-largest percentage of each population
type does not take geography into account when choosing where to give (43.4
percent of general population households and 37.0 percent of high net worth
households).
6
Knowledge of
the nonprofit
sector
Generally, high net worth individuals exhibit greater levels of knowledge about the
nonprofit sector than do general population individuals. However, high net worth
individuals in Puerto Rico lag behind their mainland U.S. counterparts in terms of
level of expertise about charitable giving. Households where respondents have a
higher level of knowledge about nonprofits are both more likely to give to charity,
and give higher amounts.
Informal giving In Puerto Rico, individuals are generous in ways aside from giving money to a
nonprofit organization. Activities such as helping a neighbor or giving directly to a
stranger are known as informal giving. Both general population and high net worth
Puerto Rican households report high levels of informal giving (71.1 percent and 73.7
percent, respectively). Puerto Ricans are most likely to give informally to strangers
(62.2 percent of general population households and 42.9 percent of high net worth
households). The most common types of informal donations are cash, food, and
clothing.
Giving vehicles
High net worth households in Puerto Rico are much less likely to use or plan to use
most types of giving vehicles than are high net worth households in the mainland
U.S. The exception to this finding is high net worth Puerto Ricans’ participation in
giving circles, which involve collaborative giving.
Volunteering
About two out of every five Puerto Rican households – 38.6 percent of general
population households and 42.1 percent of high net worth households – report that
they volunteered in 2014. Puerto Rican households are most likely to volunteer for
their church or for youth organizations. However, the vast majority of Puerto Rican
households that volunteered did so infrequently, tending to serve less than once a
month. Compared to the mainland U.S. population, general population Puerto Rican
households volunteer at a higher rate. High net worth Puerto Rican households,
however, volunteer at a lower rate than their mainland U.S. counterparts.
Barriers to
giving and
anticipated
giving
Among those Puerto Rican households that report not giving to charity in 2014, the
majority indicate that lack of income was the primary barrier. Other reasons for not
giving include limited information about nonprofits, a lack of trust in nonprofit
leaders, and a preference for informal giving. The majority of general population
households (51.0 percent) and 44.4 percent of high net worth households that had
given in the past but stopped giving indicate a change in their household
circumstances. When Puerto Rican households that do donate to charity were
asked about their future giving plans, the majority of both general population and
high net worth households anticipate that their giving will remain at the same level
over the next few years (56.4 percent and 63.5 percent, respectively), with the
remainder split between increasing and decreasing their giving levels.
Tax policy and
giving
Most Puerto Ricans are unaware of the 2011 tax code changes that aimed to
increase charitable giving. Among those who give, most have not adjusted their
giving in response to these tax policy changes. In addition, very few Puerto Ricans
itemize their tax returns.
7
Study Representation and Reliability
Giving in Puerto Rico was developed by surveying a representative sample of the Puerto Rican
population. This section provides information about respondents and compares the sample used to
another local study, the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). Additional detail about the sample and
methodology is in Appendix A.
The survey was fielded by Interviewing Resources Corporation, a Puerto Rico-based company, in
summer 2015.
Sampling
The sample size for the general population is approximately 800 households, and the sample size for the
high net worth population is approximately 95 households. The sample size varies on the number of
responses per question.
To obtain the sample of high net worth households, Interviewing Resources Corporation targeted
specific households that met certain income and wealth criteria. Similar to an approach used by other
leading studies on high net worth giving, in this study high net worth households are defined as having
at least $150,000 in annual income and/or $1 million in assets, excluding the value of their primary
residence. 1 The number of responses collected from high net worth households is considered an
“oversample,” which means that data were collected from a greater number of high net worth
households than is statistically necessary to ensure representativeness. Oversamples are used to make
certain that the broad range of trends are captured from among a relatively small sample size.
Reliability
To gauge the extent to which Giving in Puerto Rico data are reliable and represents the Puerto Rican
population, general population respondents’ demographics were compared to those of the Puerto Rico
Community Survey (PRCS). The PRCS is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and considered the gold
standard for data collection on the island. Giving in Puerto Rico demographic data largely correspond
with PRCS demographic data, as demonstrated in Table 1, indicating that Giving in Puerto Rico data
meet the U.S. Census Bureau’s high standard.
As demonstrated in Table 1, the largest portion of general population respondents to the Giving in
Puerto Rico survey had incomes between $15,000 and $50,000. About a quarter of general population
respondents had incomes of $10,000 or below, while 7.6 percent had incomes of $50,000 or more.
These results are generally comparable to PRCS data. However, PRCS’ survey of a slightly greater
number of households in the upper income ranges makes these results slightly different. The Giving in
Puerto Rico survey oversamples high net worth households to help compensate for this difference.
1
Note that the definition of “high net worth” for this study differs from the definition of “high net worth” for the
mainland U.S. study, 2014 U.S. Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, available at
www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/research. For the mainland U.S. study, the definition of a “high net worth” household
is one with an income greater than $200,000 and/or net worth more than $1 million – excluding the monetary
value of the home. For Giving in Puerto Rico the income threshold is $150,000. This is due to lower average
incomes in Puerto Rico compared to the mainland U.S., as well as a lack of data on higher income Puerto Ricans
who likely contribute a disproportionate amount to charity.
8
In terms of gender, slightly more than half of Giving in Puerto Rico survey respondents were female; this
figure closely mirrors PRCS data. Finally, the Giving in Puerto Rico data are similar to the PRCS in terms of
the age breakdown of respondents. The largest portion of Giving in Puerto Rico survey respondents for
the general population sample were ages 25 to 34, followed closely by 35 to 44-year-olds, and by 45 to
54-year-olds.
TABLE 1: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS FOR GIVING IN PUERTO RICO GENERAL POPULATION
SAMPLE IN 2014, COMPARED TO PUERTO RICO COMMUNITY SURVEY (PRCS) DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN
2013 2
Giving in Puerto Rico
Income
< $10,000
$10,000 - $14,999
$15,000 - $49,999
$50,000 - $74,999
$75,000 +
Sex
Male
Female
Age
20 - 24
25 - 34
35 - 44
45 - 54
55 - 59
60 - 64
65 - 74
75 - 84
85 +
Puerto Rico Community Survey
24.0%
14.1%
54.3%
5.8%
1.8%
28.4%
11.7%
42.5%
9.6%
7.7%
45.5%
54.5%
47.9%
52.1%
9.1%
20.4%
17.3%
16.0%
10.0%
9.4%
13.6%
4.1%
0.1%
9.8%
17.4%
17.3%
17.7%
8.1%
8.1%
12.4%
6.6%
2.6%
Giving in Puerto Rico data were collected in 2015 about respondents’ giving in calendar year 2014. Puerto Rico
Community Survey (PRCS) data were collected by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, and demographic data reflect
2013 information. Given the one year difference in timing of data collection, these data should be comparable.
Income demographics for PRCS data do not total 100 percent due to rounding.
2
9
The Numbers: Who Gives, Why, How Much, and to What Causes?
This section reveals findings about Puerto Rican households that give to charity, including the
percentage of households that give, motivations for giving, causes to which funds are given, amounts
given, and other findings.
Percentage of Households That Give to Charity
The vast majority of Puerto Rican households give to charity. Three-fourths (74.9 percent) of general
population households and 88.4 percent of high net worth households gave in 2014. Puerto Rican
general population households give at a higher rate than do mainland U.S. households (74.9 percent and
58.8 percent, respectively), whereas mainland U.S. high net worth households give at a higher rate than
do their Puerto Rican counterparts (98.4 percent and 88.4 percent, respectively). 3
Additional analysis reveals that Puerto Rican households with higher incomes are more likely to give to
charity than are lower-income households. In addition, those households that attend religious services
regularly or have received more education are more likely to give. Unlike results revealed in prior
studies on charitable giving in the U.S., demographics like age, sex, or the presence of children do not
appear to influence whether a Puerto Rican household gives to charity.
FIGURE 1: HOUSEHOLDS REPORTING GIVING TO ANY CHARITY IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION
AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“During 2014, did you or anyone in your household give to charity? In other words, did you or anyone
in your household donate money, assets, property or goods to religious or charitable organizations?”
100
88.4
90
80
74.9
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
General Population
High Net Worth
Source for the mainland U.S. general population is the 2013 Philanthropy Panel Study on giving in 2012. Source
for the mainland U.S. high net worth sample is the 2014 U.S. Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. Both
sources are available at www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/research. The definition of “high net worth” for the mainland
U.S. study differs from this study’s definition (households with incomes greater than $200,000 and/or net worth
more than $1 million – excluding the monetary value of their home); therefore, caution should be taken when
comparing the Puerto Rican and mainland U.S. high net worth samples.
3
10
Motivations for Charitable Giving
Some primary motivations for giving to charity are shared by general population and high net worth
individuals, while others are distinct across the two groups. Among general population Puerto Ricans,
the top motivations for giving in 2014 were: giving back to the community; spontaneous giving in
response to a need; the belief that the gift would make a difference; setting an example for future
generations; and giving because of being asked.
High net worth individuals’ top motivations for giving in 2014 were: giving back to the community; the
belief that the gift would make a difference; spontaneous giving in response to a need; personal
satisfaction, enjoyment, or fulfillment; and support for the same causes every year.
FIGURE 2: DONORS REPORTING GIVING BASED ON MOTIVATION TYPE (%)
“Generally, do you give…?”
82.0
76.1
In order to give back to your community
Spontaneously in response to a need
71.4
When you believe that your gift can make a difference
72.2
Because of your desire to set an example for future
generations
71.6
49.3
To remedy issues that have affected you or those close to
you (e.g., cancer, drug addiction)
69.6
59.2
To support the same causes/organizations year after year
65.5
61.6
For personal satisfaction, enjoyment, or fulfillment
59.8
64.8
Because of your religious beliefs
56.0
36.0
To honor another (e.g., memorial gifts, celebratory gifts)
23.0
When you are on the board or volunteer for the
organization
78.7
72.4
47.9
When you are asked
79.0
33.9
25.8
28.6
24.4
26.0
Because of your political or philosophical beliefs
Other (e.g., social norms, business interests)
12.7
12.8
To receive a tax benefit
9.6
13.2
0
10
20
General Population
High Net Worth
30
40
50
60
70
80
11
Giving by Charitable Category
Nearly half of general population households gave to basic needs in 2014, followed by religious causes,
and health. High net worth respondents gave to these same top causes: 55.8 percent of high net worth
households gave to basic needs, 37.9 percent to religious causes, and 32.6 percent each to health and
combination organizations.
FIGURE 3: HOUSEHOLDS REPORTING GIVING TO CHARITABLE CAUSES IN 2014, BY GENERAL
POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%) 4
“During 2014, did you or your household make a donation to any of these causes?”
49.3
Basic Needs
Religious
37.9
Health
32.6
42.6
35.7
24.3
22.1
Youth/Family Services
16.1
Combination
Animals
10.5
22.1
9.0
Foundations
4.3
Environment
3.0
International
2.0
Higher Education
20.0
7.4
3.4
Arts
32.6
14.7
8.4
K-12 Education
11.6
General Population
5.3
High Net Worth
9.5
1.9
2.1
Other
0
4
55.8
10
20
30
40
50
60
Combination organizations include, for example, Fondos Unidos, the local Puerto Rican United Way affiliate.
12
Average Amounts Given to Charity
General population households gave an average of $286 to charity in 2014. 5 High net worth households
give much larger amounts, on average. In 2014, high net worth households gave an average of $1,171.
A household’s level of income, education, and religious attendance influences whether a household
gives at all. These factors also appear to influence how much a household gives. Generally, a higher
income was found to be related to a higher level of giving, as was a higher level of education and
attending religious services at least once a month. Additionally, as the age of the respondent increases,
households tend to give more. Many demographic factors (such as sex, marriage, and the presence of
children in the household) do not appear to influence how much Puerto Rican households give, as might
be expected when comparing these data to studies of the mainland U.S.
TABLE 2: AVERAGE AMOUNTS GIVEN BY CHARITABLE CAUSE IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND
HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS 6
General Population
Total Giving
Religious
Basic Needs
Health
Animals
Combination7
Foundations
Youth/Family Services
International
K-12 Education
Arts
Higher Education
Environment
Other
$286
$118
$47
$37
$15
$15
$13
$10
$9
$7
$6
$2
$2
$1
High Net Worth
$1,171
$111
$155
$29
$4
$61
$26
$129
$46
$75
$36
$241
$8
$6
Figures in this section include households that did not give to charity; in other words, average amounts given are
among all respondents, not just among donors. Figures for giving among donors (i.e., excluding those who did not
give to specific causes) is found in Appendix B.
6
Average giving is measured as the average of giving by all respondents to a specific cause; in other words, it
includes those who did not give to the cause.
7
Combination organizations include, for example, Fondos Unidos, the local Puerto Rican United Way affiliate.
5
13
Social Issue Priorities
Among a large number of social issues that Puerto Ricans might prioritize, education and health care
were cited as top priorities by both general population households (47.6 percent and 39.6 percent,
respectively) and high net worth households (49.5 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively). Compared to
these stated priorities, education is not a top cause to which Puerto Ricans devote their charitable
giving. However, health care was found to be both a priority as a social issue and a top-supported
charitable cause by Puerto Rican households.
The disparity between prioritized social issues and giving patterns is not an unusual trend. Table 3
compares data from Giving in Puerto Rico with other studies concerning top issues and top supported
causes. For some categories, social priorities align with preferred charitable causes. For other
categories, they do not. It could be that donors believe that certain issues are the responsibility of the
government, while others are seen as the responsibility of the citizens.
TABLE 3: COMPARING ISSUE PRIORITIES WITH GIVING TO CHARITABLE CAUSES ACROSS THREE
STUDIES
“Please select the three issues that currently matter the most to you, whether you fund them or not.”
Study
Giving in Puerto Rico8
Giving in Chicago9
2014 U.S. Trust Study
of High Net Worth
Philanthropy 10
Top Issues
Education
Health Care
Economy
Basic Needs
Health Care
Education
Education
Poverty
Health Care
Top Causes
(% of Households that Give)
Basic Needs
Religion
Health
Basic Needs
Religion
Health
Education
Basic Needs
Arts
Top Causes
(Average $ Given Among
All Respondents)
Religious
Basic Needs
Health
Religion
Basic Needs
Combined Purposes
Education
Religion
Other
Giving in Puerto Rico data were collected in 2015 about respondents’ giving in calendar year 2014. Data in Table 3
represent the general population only.
9
Data from the Giving in Chicago study were collected in 2014 about Chicago metro area respondents’ giving in
calendar year 2013. For more information on this study, visit www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/research.
10
Data from the 2014 U.S. Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy were collected in 2014 about mainland U.S.
high net worth respondents’ giving in calendar year 2013. For more information on this study, visit
www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/research.
8
14
Number of Organizations Supported
The majority of Puerto Rican households gave to at least one organization in 2014. High net worth
Puerto Rican households give to a slightly higher average number of organizations than do general
population households. However, each household type gives to two organizations when measured by
the median. This finding indicates that while the majority of both general and high net worth Puerto
Rican households are giving to a fairly small number of organizations, some high net worth households
appear to be giving to a large number of organizations.
FIGURE 4: AVERAGE AND MEDIAN NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTED IN 2014, BY GENERAL
POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS11
“In 2014, how many organizations did you or people in your household give to?”
2.9
3
2.4
2
2
2
1
0
Average
Median
General Population
High Net Worth
Average and median number of organizations supported is calculated for donors only (i.e., respondents who did
not give to any organizations are excluded.
11
15
Geographic Focus of Giving
The greatest percentage of general population households in Puerto Rico prefer to give to local
organizations that focus on issues in Puerto Rico. The second highest percentage do not consider
geography when giving to charity. The smallest portion of these households prefer to give to
organizations that focus on Latin American and Caribbean issues or to organizations in the mainland U.S.
Similar trends were revealed for high net worth households. More than one-half of these households
focus on local issues, while 37.0 percent do not take geography into account when making charitable
giving decisions. The remaining households focus their giving on Latin American and Caribbean issues or
on mainland U.S. organizations.
Further analysis reveals a relationship between donating within Puerto Rico and donors’ perceived
knowledge of the nonprofit sector. Donors reporting more knowledge about nonprofits and the
nonprofit sector are more likely to focus their giving on local Puerto Rican issues.
FIGURE 5: GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS OF GIVING IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH
HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“Generally speaking, how would you characterize the geographic focus of your charitable giving in
2014? Do you give mostly to organizations…?”
General Population
High Net Worth
2.2 1.7
43.4
6.2
52.8
37.0
3.7
53.1
Within Puerto Rico that focus on local issues
Do not take geography into account
That focus on Latin American and Caribbean issues
In the mainland U.S.
16
Knowledge of the Nonprofit Sector
While the nonprofit sector in Puerto Rico has grown considerably in recent years and plays a critical role
in the Puerto Rican economy, citizens appear to have limited knowledge about nonprofit organizations
and philanthropy more broadly. In this study, knowledge about the nonprofit sector was measured in
two ways: self-rated knowledge about philanthropy and the ability to name nonprofits. The results of
these measures are explored in detail in the following sections.
Level of Knowledge
In general, Puerto Ricans are much more likely to consider themselves “novices” about philanthropy
than are residents of the mainland U.S. While this finding is not surprising, it indicates that education
about philanthropy in Puerto Rico has significant room for growth. Moreover, stakeholders have an
opportunity to educate Puerto Rican society about the subject.
General population Puerto Ricans report a low level of knowledge about philanthropy and charitable
giving. The greatest percentage of these respondents self-identified as “novices,” which translates into
having little knowledge about philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. The remaining individuals
categorized themselves as either “knowledgeable” or “experts.”
High net worth Puerto Ricans report being much more knowledgeable about philanthropy than their
general population counterparts. The greatest percentage of high net worth respondents self-identified
as “knowledgeable.” While a similar percentage of high net worth individuals classified themselves as
“experts” when compared with the general population, a smaller proportion consider themselves
“novices.”
When compared with mainland U.S. high net worth individuals, a much smaller percentage of Puerto
Rican high net worth individuals consider themselves to be “experts” (13.8 percent and 2.1 percent,
respectively). Nearly three-fourths (72.0 percent) of mainland U.S. households consider themselves to
be “knowledgeable” about philanthropy, while the remaining report themselves to be “novices” (14.1
percent).
17
FIGURE 6: SELF-REPORTED LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHARITABLE GIVING IN 2014, BY GENERAL
POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS (%)
“Generally speaking, how would you rate your level of knowledge about charitable giving and
philanthropy?”
80
70
67.1
59.0
60
50
40
39.0
30.5
30
20
10
0
2.4
Novice
Knowledgeable
General Population
2.1
Expert
High Net Worth
18
Ability to Name Nonprofits
When general population Puerto Ricans were asked to name the first few nonprofits that came to their
mind, nearly one-third (31.6 percent) named at least three nonprofits. 12 However, 11.0 percent could
not name any nonprofits. The full high net worth sample could name at least one nonprofit organization.
Additional analysis revealed that, in general, the greater the level of knowledge a respondent reported
about the nonprofit sector, the more nonprofits they could name. While the largest proportion of the
“expert” respondents could name three or more nonprofits, the greatest proportion of the “novice”
group could not name any nonprofits.
For the full list of nonprofits named by survey respondents, please see Appendix C.
FIGURE 7: NUMBER OF NONPROFITS NAMED BY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHARITABLE GIVING,
BY GENERAL POPULATION INDIVIDUALS (%)
“Which nonprofit organizations can you name? Please list the first three organizations that come to
mind. If you do not know three organizations, just list those you know.”
68.4
70
60
50
41.0
40
34.5
30.3
30
22.3
18.4
20
10
23.3
19.9
15.8
10.5
10.2
5.3
0
0
1
Novice
2
Knowledgeable
3 or More
Expert
This question was asked at the beginning of the survey to gauge respondents’ raw level of knowledge without
prompts that appeared in the rest of the survey.
12
19
Relationship Between Knowledge and Giving
The level of knowledge about philanthropy is not just linked to being able to name more nonprofits, but
is also linked to higher levels of giving. It appears that households where respondents reported higher
levels of knowledge about nonprofits were both more likely to give and to give higher amounts than
households with less knowledgeable respondents.
These results suggest the need for nonprofits and the philanthropic community to develop strategies
that aim to increase citizens’ awareness of the nonprofit sector. Strategies could include educating the
Puerto Rican public about how nonprofits can address societal needs, as well as improving the profile
and presence of nonprofit organizations across communities.
TABLE 4: GIVING TO CHARITY AND AVERAGE AMOUNT GIVEN BY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
CHARITABLE GIVING, BY GENERAL POPULATION HOUSEHOLDS
Novice
Knowledgeable
Expert
Percentage of Households
that Give to Charity
67.8%
88.9%
94.7%
Average Amount Given
(Among All Respondents) 13
$131
$514
$1,605
These figures include households that did not give to charity; in other words, average amounts given are among
all respondents, not just among donors. Figures for giving among donors (i.e., excluding those who did not give to
specific causes) are found in Appendix B.
13
20
Formal versus Informal Giving
Formal philanthropic giving is measured in terms of giving to a nonprofit organization as opposed to a
person. Puerto Rican citizens, however, engage philanthropically in ways that might not involve a formal
organization. This type of philanthropy is termed “informal giving.” In this study, informal giving is
specifically defined as giving with a charitable intent but not to a nonprofit organization. Examples of
informal giving include giving to people directly, such as a family member, a stranger, or a neighbor in
need.
Percentage of Households that Give Informally
Both general population households and high net worth households report high levels of informal giving
(i.e., giving outside of nonprofit organizations, such as to a family member or stranger in need). Informal
giving was reported by 71.1 percent of general population households and 73.7 percent of high net
worth households. These numbers suggest that despite reported financial obstacles, Puerto Ricans are
giving at high rates both formally and informally.
Recipients of Informal Giving
Figure 8 displays the recipients of informal giving by Puerto Ricans in 2014. For both high net worth and
general population households, strangers, friends, neighbors, and family are the most frequent
recipients of informal giving. General population households were most likely to give to strangers and
neighbors, while high net worth households were most likely to give to strangers and friends. Less often,
informal giving recipients were reported as family members living in the household.
FIGURE 8: RECIPIENT OF INFORMAL GIVING IN 2014 BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH
HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“To whom did you give informally in 2014?”
70
62.2
60
50
42.9
40
37.1
34.3
35.7
31.1
30
26.0
20.0
20
10
0
2.8
Stranger
Neighbor
Friend
General Population
Family member not
living with you
5.7
Family member living
with you
High Net Worth
21
Method of Informal Giving
Figure 9 highlights the key ways in which Puerto Ricans gave informally in 2014. For both general
population households and high net worth households, the most common donations were cash, food,
and clothing. Though not as prominent, donations of transportation and shelter were more often given
by high net worth households than by the general population.
FIGURE 9: METHOD OF INFORMAL GIVING IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH
HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“In what way did you give informally in 2014?”
87.1
90
80
71.2
70
60.0
60
54.5
50
45.7
37.1
40
30
21.4
20
9.5
10
0
Cash
Food
Clothing
General Population
Transportation
7.6
8.6
Shelter
High Net Worth
Giving Vehicles
Giving vehicles are ways of giving that are often utilized by high net worth households. Generally, high
net worth households in the mainland U.S. use giving vehicles to a greater extent than do high net worth
households in Puerto Rico, with the exception of giving circles. Some examples of giving vehicles include
private foundations, donor-advised funds, or a will with a specific charitable provision. This study
explored whether Puerto Rican high net worth households currently have or plan to establish giving
vehicles. The greatest percentage of Puerto Rican high net worth households indicated that they
currently use or plan to establish a giving circle (7.0 percent currently have and 1.2 percent plan to
establish). This result was followed by those who have or plan to establish a private foundation (5.9
percent and 0.0 percent, respectively) or a planned giving instrument that specifies a charitable
beneficiary (4.9 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively). 14
A giving circle is a type of collaborative giving network in which a group of individuals pool their funds and then
decide together on the beneficiaries of those resources. Examples of planned giving instruments that specify a
charitable beneficiary include a charitable remainder trust, a lead trust, or a charitable gift annuity.
14
22
Volunteering
Percentage of Households That Volunteer
Individuals in about two out of every five general population households volunteered in 2014. This
figure was similar to the percentage of high net worth households where members volunteered that
year. While more Puerto Ricans volunteer compared to the general population in the mainland U.S.
(38.6 percent in Puerto Rico compared to 33.7 percent in the U.S.), the U.S. high net worth population
volunteers at a much higher rate than do high net worth Puerto Ricans (42.1 percent in Puerto Rico
compared to 75.1 percent in the U.S.).
FIGURE 10: HOUSEHOLDS REPORTING VOLUNTEERING IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH
NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“Did you or someone in your household volunteer in 2014?”
50
42.1
40
38.6
30
20
10
0
General Population
High Net Worth
23
Amount of Time Volunteering
Of those households in the general population that reported volunteering, the greatest percentages
volunteered once or twice, or several times (i.e., less than monthly) in 2014. These results were
mirrored closely by high net worth households, of which 30.0 percent volunteered once or twice, and
another 30.0 percent volunteered several times in 2014.
FIGURE 11: FREQUENCY OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY BY HOUSEHOLDS THAT VOLUNTEERED IN 2014, BY
GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“In 2014, how often did you volunteer?”
24.1
Once or twice
30.0
30.2
Several times
30.0
17.9
Monthly
15.0
7.9
Every 2 - 3 weeks
5.0
11.0
Weekly
7.5
General Population
High Net Worth
8.9
More than once a week
12.5
0
10
20
30
24
Recipient Organizations of Volunteer Time
Religious and youth organizations were the top recipients of volunteer time by both general population
and high net worth households. General population households reported higher levels of volunteering
with organizations serving people in poor health, people in need, and senior citizens than did high net
worth households.
One explanation for the high levels of volunteering with youth organizations is parenthood. Results of
additional analyses revealed that households with at least one child in their family unit reported a higher
likelihood of volunteering overall. Households with children also reported higher levels of volunteering
for organizations focused on youth, people in need, and “other” organizations than did households with
no children. 15
FIGURE 12: TYPE OF ORGANIZATION BENEFITTING FROM VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY BY HOUSEHOLDS THAT
VOLUNTEERED IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“For which of the following types of organizations did you volunteer?”
21.0
For religious organizations (e.g., congregations)
25.3
18.7
For organizations for children and youth
27.7
12.3
For organizations that help people in poor health
7.4
9.5
For organizations to help people in need
7.4
8.6
For organizations to bring about social change
11.7
High Net Worth
8.5
8.4
For organizations for senior citizens
2.0
Other organizations
19.2
0
15
General Population
10
20
30
This analysis was conducted only on the general population sample.
25
Barriers to Giving and Anticipated Giving
Understanding why households do not give, including the barriers to giving, is as important as
understanding why households do give. Nonprofits and interested stakeholders can help to induce more
philanthropic behavior across Puerto Rican communities by addressing these barriers, which are
discussed in the following section. This section also discusses the outlook for giving in Puerto Rico in the
next three to five years.
Why Households Do Not Give
The top reason cited for not giving in 2014 by both general population and high net worth households
was not having an adequate income for giving. 16 Lacking information about nonprofits or about where
to give, a preference for informal giving, and a lack of trust in nonprofits or nonprofit leaders were also
top-cited reasons for not giving.
The top response of a lack of income seems to indicate that the ongoing economic and fiscal crisis in
Puerto Rico is affecting household giving to charity. However, this is not the only issue that limits
philanthropy in Puerto Rico. Education about nonprofits and causes, as well as education about how and
why to give to nonprofits as opposed to informal giving, might also increase giving.
Data from the high net worth sample are based on 11 high net worth respondents who did not give; therefore
the results for the high net worth sample should be interpreted with caution.
16
26
FIGURE 13: REASONS WHY HOUSEHOLDS DID NOT GIVE IN 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH
NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS17 (%)
“Please indicate the reasons why you do not give to charitable organizations.”
50.8
You don't have enough income to give to charitable
organizations
36.4
26.4
You don't know where to give or have enough information
about nonprofit organizations
27.3
22.3
You prefer to give informally (i.e., to support people you
know personally such as friends or neighbors)
9.1
20.8
You don't trust nonprofit organizations and/or their
leaders
18.2
13.2
You don't want to give
18.2
General Population
High Net Worth
6.1
You think your taxes should support these causes instead
0.0
0
10
20
30
40
50
Data from the high net worth sample are based on 11 high net worth respondents who did not give; therefore
the results for the high net worth sample should be interpreted with caution.
17
27
Why Households Stopped Giving
In addition to exploring why some households do not give to charity at all, Giving in Puerto Rico also
examined why donors may stop giving to a particular organization from one year to the next. Of general
population households in 2014, 13 percent had stopped giving to at least one organization that they had
previously supported. The top reasons these households cited for stopping their giving were:
•
•
•
A change in household circumstances (51.0 percent);
The charitable organization was ineffective (9.8 percent); and
The organization met its goal, or the specific project they funded was completed (9.8 percent).
For high net worth households in 2014, 20 percent had stopped giving to at least one organization that
they had previously supported. The top reasons high net worth households cited for stopping their
giving were:
•
•
•
A change in household circumstances (44.4 percent);
The nature of the request, for example receiving too many requests, too frequent requests, or
requests for an inappropriate amount (22.2 percent); and
The charitable organization was ineffective (11.1 percent).
These findings indicate the importance of the economy for charitable giving, as the primary reason both
general population and high net worth donors stop giving is the result of the donor’s circumstances (i.e.,
because of a change in financial circumstances of the household). If financial circumstances improve for
Puerto Rican households, an increase in giving might follow. That being said, relatively high percentages
of Puerto Rican households negatively change their giving behavior as a result of poor nonprofit
practices. This finding demonstrates a need for nonprofits to adjust their fundraising strategies aimed at
Puerto Rican households.
28
Anticipated Giving
This study seeks to anticipate the future of giving in Puerto Rico. Responding households were asked
about their plans for giving over the next three to five years and were also asked about the factors that
might influence a change in their giving. Both general population and high net worth households predict
that they will maintain their current donation levels. The remaining households are split between
anticipating an increase or a decrease in their future giving.
FIGURE 14: ANTICIPATED CHANGES IN CHARITABLE GIVING FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, BY
THE GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“Relative to your charitable giving in the past, in the next three to five years, do you plan to…?”
High Net Worth
General Population
17.6
20.7
56.4
18.9
63.5
22.9
Continue giving at the same contribution level
Decrease your contribution level
Increase your contribution level
29
Generally, the outlook for future giving in Puerto Rico seems to hinge on the state of the economy. The
top-cited influence on future giving according to Puerto Rican households is financial capacity, noted by
70.3 percent of general population households and 77.8 percent of high net worth households. The
second most-cited factor was change in the perception of the need.
FIGURE 15: FACTORS OF CHANGE IDENTIFIED AMONG HOUSEHOLDS PROJECTING A CHANGE IN
GIVING FOR THE FUTURE 18 (%)
“Which factors may contribute to that change?”
70.3
A change in your financial capacity
77.8
23.0
Your perception of the need of an organization or cause
29.6
15.9
A change in life circumstance (e.g., marriage, retirement,
illness, geographic move)
7.4
11.7
Community or global events, including disasters
0.0
10.5
A change in Puerto Rican tax policies
11.1
General Population
High Net Worth
9.6
A better understanding of the nonprofit sector
3.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
The percentages in this figure are calculated only among those who said they would increase or decrease their
future charitable giving.
18
30
Tax Policy
In 2011, Puerto Rico’s tax policy was changed in a number of ways – one of which made it more
advantageous to itemize philanthropic giving. The underlying concept is that by making the tax
deduction for charitable giving more financially beneficial, more people would give more money to
charity. To gauge the awareness of this new tax policy by the population and determine if it has affected
giving, respondents to this study’s survey were asked about these issues. In general, the results suggest
that many Puerto Ricans do not know about these changes in the tax policy and have not adjusted their
behavior in response. Much work remains to be done to inform the people of Puerto Rico about these
changes.
Awareness of Tax Code Changes
Overall, Puerto Ricans exhibit low awareness levels of the 2011 tax changes. However, high net worth
individuals exhibit greater awareness than general population Puerto Ricans.
FIGURE 16: AWARENESS OF 2011 PUERTO RICAN TAX CODE CHANGES, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND
HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS (%)
“Are you aware that in 2011, major changes were made to the Puerto Rico tax code that impacted the
potential tax benefits of charitable giving?”
32.6
30
24.4
20
10
0
General Population
High Net Worth
31
Responses to Tax Code Changes
Neither general population households nor high net worth households are being highly influenced by
the tax code change. Only 1.1 percent of general population households and 3.3 percent of high net
worth households reported an increase in giving as a response to tax code changes. The majority of both
of these household types (67.0 percent and 65.2 percent, respectively) reported no change in giving
activity due to the tax code changes. This information could be beneficial for nonprofit stakeholders; by
informing potential donors of the tax benefits, donors may be encouraged to increase their giving levels.
Tax Return Itemization
General population households are much less likely to itemize their tax returns than are high net worth
households, which is not surprising. However, neither household type exhibited much change in their
itemization behaviors between 2010 and 2014. Given the tax code changes, it might be expected that
more households would itemize or plan to itemize their returns in 2014 compared to 2010, before the
changes were implemented. However, this was not the case. The percentage of general population
households itemizing or planning to itemize stayed roughly the same in both years. The percentage of
high net worth households itemizing or planning to itemize actually decreased, from 28.4 percent in
2010 to 26.5 percent in 2014.
FIGURE 17: HOUSEHOLDS ITEMIZING TAX RETURNS IN 2010 AND 2014, BY GENERAL POPULATION AND
HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS (%)
“Before the tax code changed in 2011, did you itemize your tax return in 2010 and/or prior years?
Have you, or do you plan to itemize your tax return for 2014?”
30
28.4
26.5
20
10
6.3
6.1
0
Itemized tax return in 2010 and/or prior years
General Population
Itemized or plan to itemize tax return for 2014
High Net Worth
32
Conclusions and Implications
Giving in Puerto Rico provides fundamental information about Puerto Rican household giving. For the
first time, reliable data about who gives, why, and to what causes is available for the Puerto Rican
community at large. In light of the island’s current socioeconomic reality, the findings point to key areas
where donors, nonprofit leaders, and policy makers can nurture and encourage philanthropic growth
that will ultimately benefit the entirety of Puerto Rico.
The study can be used as a powerful tool for different stakeholders. In particular, it gives current and
potential donors the tools to get involved, to reflect on where they stand as donors, to practice strategic
giving, and to make a difference in solving some of Puerto Rico's most entrenched problems.
Three main findings stand out and warrant further action:
Puerto Ricans are generous. Puerto Rico has a strong charitable culture in which people find
opportunities to help one another. As evidenced throughout this study, giving occurs in large
numbers, both when individuals give informally within their communities as well as when they
engage in direct, formal donations to nonprofits.
There is an opportunity to increase formal giving. Puerto Rico has high levels of informal giving,
such as giving to a family member, a stranger, or a neighbor in need. This type of giving exemplifies
generosity and caring for fellow human beings. However, there is room to increase formal giving to
nonprofit organizations, especially contributions that demonstrate impact and successful solutions
to complex social issues. Contributions that target the root of existing problems are likely to
influence the quality of life in Puerto Rico and reinforce its democratic standards.
More knowledge about the nonprofit sector may be key to increasing giving. While the nonprofit
sector in Puerto Rico has evolved in the past few decades, more work remains to be done to build
awareness, provide education, and share information about nonprofits and philanthropy. The
general population expressed limited knowledge and primarily consider themselves to be novices on
the subject. Further, even high net worth philanthropists in Puerto Rico have lower levels of
knowledge about nonprofits and philanthropy when compared to their mainland U.S. counterparts.
Finally, Puerto Ricans are more likely to donate and give larger amounts of money when they
consider themselves well-informed about the nonprofit sector.
Additional research will yield a greater depth of information about key questions prompted by this
study. However, the findings clearly point to the potential to strengthen Puerto Rico’s social sector by
unleashing each individual’s power to make a difference. Philanthropy offers a mechanism for
committed individuals to act with flexibility and freedom in fulfillment of the goals they hope to achieve
for the common good. Engaging in giving with the right information and in ways that are meaningful for
each person are crucial elements toward achieving a thriving, more strategically philanthropic society.
33
Appendix A: Data and Methodology
Sample
General population sample: The survey was fielded by a local Puerto Rican company, Interviewing
Resources Corporation, in summer 2015 about 2014 giving. The sample size is approximately 800, with
variance depending on whether respondents answered all questions.
High net worth sample: The survey was fielded in a similar manner as above, but targeted only high net
worth households. These households had at least $150,000 in annual income and/or $1 million in assets
(value of primary residence was excluded). The sample size is approximately 95, with variance
depending on whether respondents answered all questions. These 95 responses are comprised of 48
responses from the general population survey that qualified under the income and wealth criteria, as
well as an additional 47 responses obtained in the effort to over-sample high net worth households.
Demographic Description of Data
In both the Puerto Rican general population and high net worth samples, the respondents were more
often female (54.5% and 58.5%, respectively). The median age of the respondents for the general
population sample was 45 years. The median age for the high net worth sample was higher, at 50 years.
Comparing the general population to the high net worth sample, the high net worth respondents were
more likely to be married and less likely to be single/never married or living with a domestic partner
than the general population sample.
TABLE A1: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS TO GIVING IN PUERTO RICO SURVEY,
FOR GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH SAMPLES
General Population
Sex
Male
Female
Age
Average
Median
Marital Status
Married
Single, never married
Living with a domestic partner/civil union
Divorced
Widowed
Separated
High Net Worth
45.5%
54.5%
41.5%
58.5%
45.5
45.0
51.6
50.0
38.1%
28.5%
10.2%
10.2%
8.3%
4.8%
60.0%
12.6%
6.3%
9.5%
6.3%
5.3%
34
Subsector Definitions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Basic needs: organizations helping people in need of food, shelter, or other basic necessities
Combination: organizations serving a combination of purposes (e.g., United Way)
Youth/Family Services: organizations serving the youth or familial populations, such as adoption
services, foster care, family counseling, family violence shelters, boys’ and girls’ clubs, etc.
Health Care/Medical Research: organizations operating in the health care system, such as
hospitals, nursing homes, heart or cancer associations, etc.
K-12 Education: organizations that support K-12 education (outside of tuition and fees) such as
schools, libraries, after-school programs, scholarship funds, etc.
Higher Education: organizations for higher educational purposes, such as universities, university
scholarship funds, educational-related nonprofits, etc.
Arts, Culture, Humanities: organizations that support arts, culture, or humanities, such as
museums, theatres, public broadcasting, etc.
Environment: organizations that advocate and support environmental protection and
conservation (e.g., Para la Naturaleza, Scuba Dogs Society, Sierra Club, etc.)
Animal: organizations that care for animals, such as animal shelters (e.g., Humane Society of
Puerto Rico, etc.)
International Aid: organizations that promote international aid or world peace (e.g., Amnesty
International, Doctors Without Borders, etc.)
Foundations and Grant Making: foundations or grant-makers (e.g., Puerto Rico Community
Foundation, Fundación Pro Ayuda de Puerto Rico, etc.)
Non-specified: organizations that do not fit in the aforementioned categories, such as
community development or veterans groups
35
Appendix B: Average Amounts of Giving Among Donors
In the report text, when average amounts of giving are discussed, figures include all recipients, even
those who did not give to charity. Here, corresponding information is provided for average amounts of
giving among donors only. While the average amount given for all respondents provides an indication of
how important causes are across the entire population, the average amount given among donors can
indicate where large amounts are being given, even if not by very many donors.
When only general population households that donated at least one dollar to charity are considered, the
average amount given was $391. When only high net worth households that donated at least one dollar
to charity are considered, the average amount given was $1,393.
Measured in terms of average giving among donor households, the Puerto Rican general population
gave the highest amounts to international ($322), religious ($299), and arts organizations ($182). High
net worth donors gave the highest average amounts to higher education ($3,650), international ($860),
and youth and family services causes ($727). While some of these average giving amounts might appear
to be high, in some cases this is because a small number of donor households gave large amounts.
TABLE B1: AVERAGE AMOUNTS GIVEN (AMONG DONORS) BY CHARITABLE CAUSE IN 2014, BY
GENERAL POPULATION AND HIGH NET WORTH HOUSEHOLDS 19
General Population
Total Giving
International
Religious
Arts
Foundations
Higher Education
Health
Animals
Basic Needs
Combination20
K-12 Education
Other
Environment
Youth/Family Services
High Net Worth
$391
$322
$299
$182
$158
$123
$111
$109
$102
$101
$76
$65
$56
$43
$1,393
$860
$367
$399
$223
$3,650
$120
$101
$314
$276
$494
$275
$120
$727
Average giving among donors is measured as the average of giving by donors to a specific cause; in other words,
it excludes those who did not give to that cause.
20
Combination organizations include, for example, Fondos Unidos, the local Puerto Rican United Way affiliate.
19
36
TABLE B2: GIVING TO CHARITY AND AVERAGE AMOUNT GIVEN (AMONG DONORS) BY LEVEL OF
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHARITABLE GIVING, BY GENERAL POPULATION HOUSEHOLDS
Novice
Knowledgeable
Expert
Percentage of Households
that Give to Charity
67.8%
88.9%
94.7%
Average Amount Given
(Among Donors)
$201
$582
$1,699
37
Appendix C: List of Named Organizations 21
“Which nonprofit organizations can you name? Please list the first three organizations that come to
mind. If you do not know three organizations, just list those you know.”
Name of Nonprofit
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY- PUERTO RICO DIV.
SER DE PUERTO RICO
ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
CRUZ ROJA AMERICANA CAPITULO DE PR
THE SALVATION ARMY
HOGAR CREA INTERNACIONAL, INC.
DA VIDA CAMINANDO CON RAYMOND
FONDOS UNIDOS DE PUERTO RICO, INC.
ASOCIACION DE DISTROFIA MUSCULAR CAPITULO DE PUERTO RICO, INC.
IGLESIA / SIN ESPECIFICAR
CORPORACION LA FONDITA DE JESUS
SAN JORGE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION, INC.
RICKY MARTIN FOUNDATION, CORP.
HOSPITAL DE ONCOLOGIA DR. I. GONZALEZ MARTINEZ DE LA LIGA
PUERTORRIQUEÑA CONTRA EL CANCER
CENTROS SOR ISOLINA FERRE, INC.
CASA PROTEGIDA JULIA DE BURGOS, INC.
MARCH OF DIMES BIRTH DEFECTS FOUNDATION PUERTO RICO CHAPTER, INC.
PUERTO RICO AFFILIATE OF THE SUSAN G. KOMEN BREAST CANCER
FOUNDATION
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION, INC.
RELEVO POR LA VIDA
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, INC.
FUNDACION INFANTIL RONALD MCDONALD DE PUERTO RICO, INC.
CABECITAS RAPADAS
IGLESIA CATOLICA / IGLESIA
MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF PUERTO RICO, INC.
AMIGOS DE LA CASA CUNA DE SAN JUAN, INC.
FUNDACION SAVE A SATO, INC.
CLUB DE LEONES
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
PARA LA NATURALEZA
FUNDACION CARITAS ALEGRES / ROSELYN SANCHEZ
Number of Times
Mentioned
142
113
102
90
69
63
50
45
40
32
30
28
26
24
23
20
17
13
12
12
10
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
6
6
6
The names of these organizations appear in this list as they were mentioned by survey respondents. They do not
necessarily correspond to the official name of the organization.
21
38
Name of Nonprofit
FUNDACION DE AUTISMO Y TRASTORNOS GENERALIZADOS DEL DESARROLLO,
INC.
HOGAR CUNA DE SAN CRISTOBAL, INC.
FUNDACION CAP (CANCER PEDIATRICO)
UNITED STATE FUND FOR UNICEF
ASOCIACION PUERTORRIQUEÑA DEL PULMON, INC.
ASOCIACION PRO ALBERGUE Y PROTECCION DE ANIMALES, INC.
ASOCIACION PUERTORRIQUEÑA DE DIABETES, INC.
ASOCIACION PROTECTORA DE ANIMALES DE CAGUAS, INC.
FUNDACION AMAR
ACCION SOCIAL DE PUERTO RICO, INC.
CENTRO DEAMBULANTES CRISTO POBRE, INC.
SOCIEDAD PRO-HOSPITAL DEL NIÑO (HOSPITAL DEL NIÑO)
PUERTO RICO CANCER AND HEALTH FOUNDATION (FUNDACION DEL CANCER Y
LA SALUD DE PUERTO RICO), INC.
WORLD VISION PUERTO RICO, INC.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF PR, INC.
CASA DE NIÑOS MANUEL FERNANDEZ JUNCOS, INC.
DISCIPULOS DE CRISTO / IGLESIA
HOGAR NUEVA MUJER SANTA MARIA DE LA MERCED, INC.
SALESIAN SOCIETY
SIDA (ORGANIZACION NO ESPECIFICADA)
HOSPITALES / NO ESPECIFICADO
FUNDACION O CENTRO DE ENVEJECIENTES / NO ESPECIFICADO
HOGARES O CLUBES DE NIÑOS(AS) / NO ESPECIFICADO
INSTITUTO PONCEÑO SINDROME DOWN, INC.
PUERTO RICO DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION, INC.
HUMANE SOCIETY OF PUERTO RICO, INC.
COLITAS SONRIENTES
A AFRICA CON AMOR, INC.
CARIBE GIRL SCOUTS COUNCIL, INC.
HOGAR ALBERGUE DE NIÑOS DE SAN GERMAN PORTAL DE AMOR
IGLESIA PENTECOSTAL DE DIOS M.I. / IGLESIA
FUNDACION VIDA LEJOS DEL SEMAFORO
FUNDACION PRO AYUDA DE PUERTO RICO
CASA JOVEN DEL CARIBE, INC.
ALCOHOLICOS ANONIMOS
EXTRA BASES, INC.
HOGAR SAN MIGUEL
CENTRO DE CUIDADO DE NIÑOS CARITAS FELICES, INC.
Number of Times
Mentioned
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
39
Name of Nonprofit
CENTRO MARGARITA, INC.
ALIANZA PARA UN PUERTO RICO SIN DROGAS, INC.
FUNDACION CIVICA HAITIANO CARIBEÑO, INC.
ASOCIACION DE ESPINA BIFIDA E HIDROCEFALIA DE PR, INC.
FUNDACION DE DESARROLLO COMUNAL DE PUERTO RICO, INC. (FUNDESCO)
FUNDACION SILA M. CALDERON, INC.
CORPORACION MILAGROS DEL AMOR
G-8 GRUPO DE LAS OCHO COMUNIDADES ALEDAÑAS AL CAÑO MARTIN PEÑA,
INC.
HOGARES CRISTIANOS / NO ESPECIFICADO
CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION
COMEDOR DE JESUS
MUJERES Y NIÑOS MALTRATADOS / NO ESPECIFICADO
CENTRO DE CONSEJERIA EL SENDERO DE LA CRUZ, INC.
FUNDACION STEFANO STEENBAKKERS BETANCOURT CORP.
HOGAR DE NIÑAS DE CUPEY
CLUB CIVICO DE DAMAS DE PUERTO RICO
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
PROYECTO MATRIA, INC.
ORGANIZACION BENEDICTO / IGLESIA
FUNDACION ALAS A LA MUJER, INC.
AMIGOS DE LOS ANIMALES, INC.
PROYECTO AMOR QUE SANA / CASA ANA MEDINA, CASA SAFE HEAVEN, CASA
JULIO MARIETTI
LA CASA DE AMPI, INC.
CLUB DE CONQUISTADORES / ADRA IGLESIA ADVENTISTA DEL 7MO DIA /
IGLESIA
SISTEMA UNIVERSITARIO ANA G. MENDEZ, INC.
ASOCIACION ALZHEIMER Y DESORDENES RELACIONADOS, INC.
FUNDACION HIMA SAN PABLO, INC.
ASOCIACION PROTECTORA DE ANIMALES DE CABO ROJO, INC.
ASOCIACION PRO JUVENTUD Y COMUNIDAD DE BARRIO PALMAS, INC.
ASOCIACION PUERTORRIQUEÑA DE PARKINSON, INC.
CENTRO DE AYUDA A NIÑOS CON IMPEDIMENTOS DE ISABELA, INC.
HOGAR DE NIÑOS FE, AMOR Y ESPERANZA, INC.
CONGREGACION DE TESTIGOS DE JEHOVA / IGLESIA
IGLESIA PENTECOSTAL / IGLESIA
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
HOGAR INFANTIL JESUS NAZARENO, INC.
IGLESIA EVANGELICA / IGLESIA
Number of Times
Mentioned
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
40
Name of Nonprofit
HOGAR MIS PRIMEROS PASOS, INC.
CENTRO DE TRANSFORMACION TINIEBLAS A LA LUZ / IGLESIA
FUNDACION DAR
HIJAS CATOLICAS DE AMERICA / IGLESIA
CASITA MISERICORDIA
INSTITUTO PSICOPEDAGOGICO DE PUERTO RICO
IGLESIA CRISTIANA SENDA ANTIGUA / IGLESIA
IGLESIA ASAMBLEA DE DIOS / IGLESIA
ALIANZA CRISTIANA Y MISIONERA / IGLESIA
IGLESIA CRISTIANA / IGLESIA
BARCELONETA JUDO CLUB
ASOCIACION DE PEQUEÑOS Y MEDIANOS NEGOCIOS
CLUB DE NIÑOS ESPECIALES POSADA DE AMOR
UNIVERSIDAD
FUNDACION AJEDREZ RAFAEL ORTIZ BONILLA PUERTO RICO, INC.
SOCIEDAD AMIGOS MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS, INC.
FLAMBOYAN FOUNDATION, INC.
FONDITA DE DIVINO NIÑO JESUS DE AIBONITO, INC.
MISION RESCATE, INC.
HOGAR NUESTRA SENORA DE FATIMA, INC.
GO-GOGO FOUNDATION
APNI, INC.
ASOCIACION PUERTORRIQUEÑA DE PADRES ADOPTIVOS, INC
ESTANCIA CORAZON, INC.
SALON ANGELITOS DE AMOR
MADRINAS PRO-AYUDA PACIENTES CON CANCER, INC.
IGLESIA METODISTA / IGLESIA
IGLESIA EVANGELICA ROBLES DE JUSTICIA / IGLESIA
IGLESIA EJERCITO DE SALVACION / IGLESIA
FUNDACION COAMEÑOS POR LA NIÑEZ, INC.
LIGA ATLETICA POLICIACA
GATES FOUNDATION
ESCAPE ORGANIZATION CENTRO DE FORTALECIMIENTO FAMILIAR
ESTUDIANTES DESVENTAJADOS / NO ESPECIFICADA
MALTRATO DE ANIMALES CUIDADO PROTECCION DE ANIMALES / NO
ESPECIFICADA
HOGAR EL BUEN SAMARITANO, INC.
NIÑOS CON CANCER / NO ESPECIFICADA
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
HOGAR DE NIÑOS QUE QUIEREN SONREIR
Number of Times
Mentioned
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
41
Name of Nonprofit
ANGELES DE PESO
SAN VICENTE DE PAUL
FUNDACION DE FIBROMYALGIA / NO ESPECIFICADA
HOGAR DE REHABILITACION / NO ESPECIFICADO
CARE ORGANIZATION
CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT
ASPCA
SPCA
CENTRO DE AYUDA SOCIAL, INC.
HOGAR EL BUEN PASTOR P.E.A., INC.
FOUNDATION FOR PUERTO RICO, INC.
FRANKLIN STRATEGIC SERIES FRANKLIN SMALL- MID CAP GROWTH FUND
MUSEO DE ARTE DE PUERTO RICO, INC.
CIRCO NACIONAL DE PUERTO RICO
Y NO HABIA LUZ
FUNDACION GOGUI, INC.
CASA ALBORADA
HOGAR DE NIÑOS EL AVE MARIA
IGLESIA BAUTISTA / IGLESIA
ALIANZA PARA LA EDUCACION ALTERNATIVA, INC. / P.E.C.E.S.
FUNDACION PIES DESCALZOS
YMCA
Number of Times
Mentioned
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
42